Knives require sheaths for varying purposes. A proper sheath requires several attrubutes. Generally, an ideal sheath conforms to the contours of the knife, and incorporates the aesthetic design and quality of the knife. Furthermore, a sheath needs to properly enclose the blade to keep it safe from outside contact or for carrying and storage. Finally, a sheath must allow for easy and reliable insertion and retraction of the knife.
A problem arises in these criterion with regard to knives having various angles or curvature. Knives having blade portions disposed at an angle with respect to each other, or knives having curved blades are known as shown in FIGS. A-C. FIG. A shows a knife 100 having blade 105 with a longitudinal axis 107, and a handle 110 having a transverse axis 112 and longitudinal axis 115. This conventional “straight” knife 100 has corresponding longitudinal axes of the blade 107 and handle 115 in parallel alignment. The angle A formed by the blade longitudinal axis 107 and handle transverse axis is a right angle. Sheaths for such knives are fairly straightforward, having a generally orthogonal configuration that follows the contours of the knife blade along the axes shown.
This is in contrast with the angled or curved knives shown in FIGS. B and C. FIG. B shows a knife 120 having a blade 125, with longitudinal axis 127, and a handle 130 with transverse axis 132 and longitudinal axis 135. In this case, the angle B formed between the blade longitudinal axis 127 and handle's transverse axis 132 is not a right angle. FIG. C similarly shows a curved knife 140 having a blade 145, with a centroid 146 having a longitudinal axis 147 running therethrough, and a handle 150 with transverse axis 152 and longitudinal axis 155. In this case, the angle C formed between the blade's longitudinal axis 147 and the handle's transverse axis 152 is also not a right angle.
Placing knives such as knife 120 or knife 140 into known sheaths, such as rectangularly shaped sheaths more suited for knife 100, presents several problems. First, the blades do not fit properly. Second, the insertion and retraction of a blade into known sheaths is difficult, with the blade being easily stuck or grated against a surface. This is especially the case with plastic blade safety covers installed in such sheaths. Furthermore, as such knives are primarily intended for kitchen use, little attention has been paid to the needs of sportsmen who may wish to carry such a knife in an easily accessed manner. Many sporting knives are carried on a belt, such that the sheath must hang freely from a belt or other fastening point. The insertion or retraction of curved or angled blades into known straight sheaths creates added problems of friction, misalignment, and awkward movement.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a belt-mountable, rugged, easily-accessed sheath for a knife having an angled or curved blade and handle, allowing a user to easily insert and remove the blade into and out of the sheath.